This Thai chicken salad with peanut dressing is so fresh, bright, and easy to make! It's a great way to use leftover or rotisserie chicken, and it's on your table in just 20 minutes.
Love cabbage-based salads? Try my Simple Creamy Coleslaw Recipe.
Easy Thai salad
If you love Thai food as much as I do, you'll devour this Thai-inspired chicken salad. The peanut, lime, and ginger dressing is made from scratch, and it's incredible. Pair it with crunchy cabbage, veggies, and fresh herbs, and you have one flavor-packed salad! I like to eat this one-year round since it has ingredients available all the time.
Maybe the best part is how even picky eaters will enjoy it. This super simple salad will be a hit with your entire family. I like to consider it a salad for people who don't really like salad. It's that good. It's also packed with so much good stuff that it's filling enough to eat as a meal on its own.
Everything you'll need
For the salad
- Coleslaw - any mixture of shredded cabbage and carrots is good! You can also chop your own green cabbage and use matchstick carrots.
- Chicken - use shredded cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken
- Scallions - they've got a fairly mild taste, but use red onion if you prefer
- Red bell pepper - to add crunch and color
- Cilantro and basil - I strongly recommend adding both these fresh herbs. They complement the homemade peanut dressing so well. If you can't eat cilantro, sub for Italian parsley. Mint works too!
- Peanuts - chopped peanuts top it all off
For the dressing
- Peanut butter - I used a smooth creamy variety
- Soy sauce, lime juice, honey - this trio makes up the wonderful savory-tangy-sweet flavor combination that is amazing with peanut butter!
- Toasted sesame oil - it has a distinct flavor and is used in many Asian recipes. Don't confuse it with the regular kind.
- Garlic powder - for another savory layer. Use fresh minced garlic instead if you like.
- Fresh ginger - it adds a punch of bold flavor
- Water - depending on the brand of peanut butter and how thick you like the dressing, you may have to add more than suggested to thin out the dressing
Pro tips and troubleshooting
- We're using the toasted variety of sesame oil that's darker in color and can be found in the Asian foods aisle along with soy sauce. Regular sesame oil has a lighter color and is often found with other cooking oils like olive oil, so don't get that one.
- I use one of my favorite kitchen tools to grate the ginger, my Microplane zester/grater. It's so much easier to grate when it's frozen! Just store ginger in a ZipLoc freezer bag so you always have some handy.
- If you store your peanut butter in the fridge, make sure to let it warm up on the counter for a little before making the dressing so it's not cold and hard and mixes properly. You can also add more water to thin it out to desired consistency.
How to make it
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl, and whisk until combined. Make sure to test it and adjust as necessary (more lime juice, honey, water, etc.) Prep all the salad ingredients, and place them in a large bowl.
Top the salad with the homemade peanut dressing, season with salt & pepper, and serve immediately!
Substitutions and variations
- If you don't want to buy pre-bagged coleslaw mix, you can cut up/shred your own cabbage and carrots.
- Cucumber would be a great addition to this salad! I'd cut it up in fairly small cubes. I've also seen people add papaya.
- Want to make this a spicy Thai chicken salad? Try adding some crushed red pepper flakes, cut-up fresh Thai chilis, or some sriracha sauce to the dressing. A little heat would be fantastic here.
What to serve with this salad
- This is quite a large salad. It serves four as an main dish on its own no problem, but you could easily feed up to six people depending on how much they eat or if you serve it with something else.
- If you want a riff on soup and salad, pair it with this light 15 Minute Thai Green Curry Soup!
Leftovers and storage
- This salad does work for leftovers for a day or so just fine, but it may get a bit less crisp. Just store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Keep in mind leftovers aren't quite as good as when freshly made, so you could certainly halve all the ingredients if you don't want anything left over.
- Or you could store the dressing in a jar in the fridge for up to a week and use when you're ready!
More tasty Thai-inspired recipes
Questions? Leave me a comment below! As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations!
Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 pound coleslaw mix
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1/4 cup scallions chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- Small handful fresh cilantro chopped (optional but recommended)
- Small handful fresh basil sliced thin or torn (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon pure sesame oil see note
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 3 tablespoons water or more as needed
Instructions
- Add the dressing ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together until smooth. Taste and adjust (e.g. add more lime juice or honey). If your dressing comes out really thick (peanut butter brands can vary), add even more water than suggested.
- Prep all the salad ingredients and them add to a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- You don't need to add the cilantro or basil, but they definitely add extra flavor and freshness.
- Helpful hint: It's much easier to grate ginger when it's frozen. I always keep some fresh ginger in my freezer for when I need it. It also helps reduce waste (I always seem to waste fresh ginger when I don't use it in time!).
- I use the sesame oil found in the Asian section of the grocery store. It's got quite a strong/nutty flavor. It's darker in color and sometimes you'll find it labeled as toasted sesame oil. I just buy whichever brand is in stock.
- Serves 4-6. You may want to halve it if you don't want leftovers.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on June 16, 2017. It's been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Lisa says
Absolutely delicious. I’m going to do this in a wok and try it hot.
Natasha says
Ooh let me know how it goes!
Jen says
this was fantastic! I doubled the amount of scallions and added some dried chilies and a fresh Jalapeno for some heat.
Natasha says
So happy it was a hit!! Thanks for taking the time to write me a review, Jen!
Connie Martin says
It was good, but I didn’t fall in love with it. If you love peanuts this recipe would be a great fit for you.
Julie says
Very good! I had some vegan Whole Foods sweet and sour chicken that I used in place of real chicken, not that I object to meat.
The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars was that I had to doctor the dressing up a bit. I thought it needed heat, more sour, and more sweet, so I added some sweet chili sauce and tripled the amount of lime juice.
Otherwise, great recipe. The cilantro and basil are truly necessary, though if one is cursed with the cilantro-tastes-like-soap gene, you could definitely get away with just substituting more basil for the cilantro.
I just happened to have fresh Thai basil on hand, but any fresh basil is good.
Anne says
I turned it into a stir fry dish. It was excellent. Lots of cilantro, basil and peanuts and added a couple cloves of garlic and sriracha sauce. I will be making it again and maybe adding noodles.
Natasha says
I love that idea, Anne!
Joan says
Perfect light, healthy dinner for my husband who works late. I cook a lunch for him, and he comes home to this for dinner. Yes, the picky meat and potatoe guy, absolutely loves this and eats four nights in a row. I've come up with a soy peanut butter marinade to lift the flavor of the chicken. First recipe that is on repeat in our home.
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that, Joan!! That's awesome!! 😀
Shanna says
Loved this! Hubby and I are doing WW and we are always looking for something quick, easy and low points. We didn’t add the peanuts because we didn’t have any, but we followed the rest of the recipe to a T. Very delicious. I even added a few dashes of Sriracha to the sauce. We will definitely make this again. Thanks!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it was a hit, Shanna! Thanks for your review! 🙂
June says
Can you use natural peanut butter with this? It is a bit thicker and has no sugar. Should I add a bit more sugar than called for?
Natasha says
Hi June! You could, but you may need to tweak it a bit as you say. It's not as smooth of a consistency, and you may need to add more water as well.
Katie C says
Thanks so much for another AMAZING recipe, Natasha!
I made this as a quick side instead of a full entree, so I skipped the chicken this time around and added some shelled edamame and chopped avocado that I had in the fridge/freezer! I also added some sriracha and red pepper flakes as you suggested for a bit of kick, and swapped the cole slaw mix with broccoli slaw mix. But it was FABULOUS!! I loved all of the different flavors and textures coming together. Definitely a new go-to in our house!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! 🙂
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Katie!! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Sharon Barber says
This recipe sounds delicious!!! Some questions: 1) do you peel your fresh ginger before you freeze it?
2) is it possible to substitute Stevia for the honey since I am diabetic?
3) do use use roasted unsalted peanuts?
4) can you use crushed red chili’s
Thank you again for this amazing recipe!!!
Natasha says
Hi Sharon! I don't peel it. The peel protects it in the freezer. I just grate a bit of the peel off (like into the garbage) when I'm ready to use it, and then continue grating from there. Re: the Stevia, if you're comfortable making the sub (like you've done it in cooking before), you could try, but it's not something I've ever done in a salad dressing. I believe the peanuts were roasted and unsalted, yes. Sure, crushed red chilis would be fine. Hope you like the recipe! 🙂
Logan says
Did you end up using stevia? I was thinking about subbing swerve.
Kim Williams says
What is the serving size for the 251 cals? A cup, two cups?
Natasha says
Hi Kim! It's 1/6 of the recipe. I am not a trained nutritionist (or good at math, for that matter lol), so I only include the nutrition info that the recipe card automatically calculates, with a heavy disclaimer that it's just an estimate, ingredients vary, etc. So, I am not sure what that works out to in cups, oz, or grams - sorry! If you are relying on the nutrition info for health reasons, for the most accurate results, you would weigh the ingredients using a kitchen scale and base it on the exact brands of ingredients you're using.
Leslie says
The salad was quite good, but only after I adjusted the dressing significantly. When I started as shown it tasted like I was just pouring peanut butter over my salad. Had to increase everything else significantly to get the blend of flavors. Next time I will start with 2 Tb of peanut butter and the remaining ingredients until you get a good balance of flavors.
Carol Zippo says
Followed the recipe as is with one exception - left out the cilantro because of a very strong dislike that would actually make the dish inedible for me.
It was still delicious !
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!! Yes, some people are born with the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap... can't say I blame you for leaving it out haha.
Amanda G says
This was fantastic and such a great change of pace!
I added a little water to thin out the dressing. I also added dried Chinese red peppers for heat and some seasoned rice vinegar to brighten it all up at the end. I halved the salad to take leftovers to lunch!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Amanda!! 🙂
Debi D says
We use PB2. It can be reconstituted by adding water to be like regular peanut butter. I would just do that and then add it to the recipe as stated. There are directions to reconstitute the PB2 on the jar.
Debi D says
Oops! Sorry. Replied to the wrong post.
Michele says
Can this recipe be adapted to use a powdered peanut butter such as PB2?
Natasha says
Hello! I don't know... I have never tried powdered peanut butter before. I mean, I don't see why not... you could certainly experiment. Let me know!
Giselle says
How long does the peanut dressing last in the fridge? I loved the salad. It’s so refreshing on a hot day
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! I would say max one week, but that's just a guess... I try to use up homemade dressings within 3-5 days usually.
Elle says
This is a family favorite!
Natasha says
Thank you!! So pleased to hear that! 😀
Beth Johnston says
This salad is delicious! I also added crispy wontons which gave it even more crunch! My husband is picky and he had seconds so that makes it a win at our table! It is very similar to North Star's Citrus Crunch salad but made in my own kitchen! Definitely add the basil and the cilantro to the salad mixture, and add a little extra honey, lime, and water in the dressing! I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Thank you so much!
Natasha says
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Lynda Appel says
Made this last night for dinner and looking forward to heading home to have some more for lunch! Very tasty, will add it to my rotation. Super fast! I used crunchy peanut butter, because that is what I have, and it worked perfectly. Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thanks for commenting, Lynda!
Susan Murphy says
I made this salad last night and found the dressing too thick. I added more lime and another 3T of water and still too thick with the salad. Might need 9 T water? Or is there another reason it's thick? What brand PB do you use?
Natasha says
Hi! I use Kraft creamy peanut butter (I think it may only be available in Canada). You’re the second person to encounter this issue, so I’m going to put a note in the recipe that more water may be required. The dressing is neither thin nor thick for me. It definitely shouldn’t be as thick as you’re describing, though.
AD says
I made this recently and it was absolutely fantastic! My entire family devoured it. Quick, easy and so, so, GOOD!
Natasha says
Wonderful! Thanks for commenting! 😀
Monica Van Rickley says
Yummy salad. Followed directions exactly. I may have mis-measured, but I feel the dressing came out to thick. I could turn the bowl upside down and it would’ve stuck to the bowl. I wasn’t sure what the consistency was supposed to be, so kept forward with the recipe.
It’s taste was too creamy. Fixed easily enough by adding a touch more of all dressing ingredients less the peanut butter.
I am one of those against cilantro so I used parsley instead. Fresh and delicious 😋
Natasha says
I'm glad you liked it, Monica! Hmmm... the dressing definitely was not that thick for me. Did you add the 3 tablespoons of water? It's possible that you used a different brand of peanut butter that's much thicker, but I am perplexed as to why the dressing was so thick unless you missed something out. Glad you were able to taste and adjust, though!
Emily says
Incredibly delicious and easy to make! Will definitely be making this again.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! Thanks for commenting, Emily! So pleased you liked it. XO
melissa says
made this the other night and it was excellent. i could not find a thai chili pepper so i used a serrano but it seemed to work just fine. great recipe!
Natasha says
Yay!! So happy you liked it.
Cindy says
This looks delicious. This salad caught my eye, and I love the brown sugar in the dressing. Looks perfect for summer. I think you are right, we should not be slaving away in our kitchens. It is darn hot her in Southern California.
Natasha says
Thanks, Cindy! Yeah, lots of places are currently experiencing some extreme heat. 💛
Irina C says
I usually absolutely love your recipes, but this salad… not sure.., as many mentioned before the dressing was very thick , I used Skippy , I added probably 3 times more water, the dressing made the salad very soggy and I even didn’t use all of it… Something missing, maybe small mandarin peaces?
Natasha says
Hmm... I'm sorry to hear you didn't like it! 🙁 I am baffled about the PB thing... like as you can see from the photos, my dressing wasn't too thick at all. Maybe the kind I use (Kraft Creamy Peanut Butter - the most popular variety here in Canada) is somehow different than the usual creamy PB in the USA?
Natasha's Sister says
Can you make this without chicken for me?
Natasha says
No.